Common Marsh-bedstraw

Galium palustre

Common Marsh-bedstraw is a lovely plant that grows in wet places like marshes. It has small, white flowers and soft, green leaves that can be fun to touch!

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Common Marsh-bedstraw has delicate, sprawling stems with whorls of 4-6 narrow, lance-shaped leaves. Its tiny, star-like white flowers bloom in loose clusters, giving it a frothy appearance that stands out against marshy greens.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderGentianalesFamilyRubiaceaeGenusGalium

Common Marsh-bedstraw

Interesting facts

Historically, people used this plant's stems to filter milk!

Its tiny fruits have hooks that help them hitchhike on animal fur!

The name 'bedstraw' comes from its ancient use as comfy mattress stuffing!

This plant is surprisingly related to coffee, tea, and quinine plants!

Special abilities

Common Marsh-bedstraw can tolerate waterlogged soils, thriving where many other plants would struggle to get enough oxygen to their roots.

Common Marsh-bedstraw has a sprawling growth habit, allowing it to quickly spread and form dense mats, helping it compete for space.

Common Marsh-bedstraw can have slightly sticky stems that help it cling to other plants, giving it support in its wet habitat.

Measurements & details

Height: 15-60 cm
Spread: 30-100 cm
Flower Size: 0.2-0.4 cm
Bloom Season: Late Spring to Early Autumn
Edible: Yes
Toxicity: None
Lifecycle: Perennial
Pollination Method: Insect

Ecological connections

pollinates

European honey bee

Apis mellifera

Bees visit its small white flowers for nectar.

eaten by

Black slug

Arion ater

Slugs feed on its lush leaves and tender stems.

pollinates

Buff-tailed bumblebee

Bombus terrestris

Bumblebees help carry its pollen to other plants.

Traits

Flowering

Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.

Cluster Flower

Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem.

Spring Blooming

Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.

Pollinator Magnet

Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.